Mending a Broken Heart
by ClintBartonsGirl92
Summary: Years after she left she's back in Chicago and runs into the man who broke her heart after Casey is injured in the fire saving the baby. As time goes on surprises come out of the wood work that she and her brother hid from him. Where will this lead their future? Will it bring them back together or leave them separated for good now?
1. She's Back

A/N: I want to thank my awesome beta Talia345 who has been helping me edit this and with Herrmann's response at the end! She 's absolutely amazing and I wouldn't have been able to get this chapter done without her! THANK YOU SO MUCH TALIA345! This was also inspired by When I Make It Shine's story, **Home Is Where the Heart Is**. Go and read it. It's a great story! Just the concept of Christi and Kelly's relationship.

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><p>Christina Herrmann looks up as a firefighter down trauma call came into Lakeshore Medical Hospital. She pulls on her trauma gear and runs out to the ambulance bay with her team and her fellow trauma doctor who was on call that night, and she looks up as the ambulance comes flying in and screeches to a halt, leaving the smell of burnt rubber on the ground and in the air. She looks up as the back doors are flung open revealing Dawson and Kelly trying to keep Casey alive. She freezes in place seeing Kelly.<p>

"I don't care about our past or what happened right now but please just save him and help him." Kelly begs her as they pull Matt out of the back of the ambulance.

"Of course." She said then sprang into action yelling out orders, and what to do, and what to get her and everything she needed.

Everyone heads back to the ER Surgery waiting room and they all take a seat and Kelly looks over at Herrmann, "Hey Herrmann?" He looks over, "When were you going to tell me your sister was back in town and working here in the ER?" Kelly asks Herrmann.

"Our dad was sick for a while there two years back and she came home to help out with him, and that she was missing home badly. She wanted to come back but was too nervous about running into you and how things ended. I told her I would keep my mouth shut about her being back until she was ready for everyone to know until she was ready to let people know." Herrmann explains.

He was still pissed at Kelly for hurting his baby sister. After they had went through with everything he watched, as things slowly fell apart. Kelly got so needy to be on squad he started obsessing over it and taking up every extra shift he possibly could until he reached his max hours for the week; she got sick of it and left.

Kelly nods and leans back, remembering the Herrmann family patriarch was sick two years ago. At times they weren't sure if he was going to pull through or not but he did. He took a guess as it was because they had a doctor in the family and she kept a close eye on him while he was sick while also watching over the other doctors' shoulders of who took care of her father.

A couple of hours later Christi comes out looking utterly exhausted and worn out. Chief Boden looks up and sees her and he nudges a few of the guys awake who proceeded to wake everyone else up.

"So what's the news on him Firefly?" Kelly asks her using the nickname he dubbed her with in high school; he had been the only one allowed to call her that. She was a flier on the cheerleading team in high school and she was spark of energy so he called her Firefly.

She paused on her intake of breath and only stared at him for a moment with wide eyes before she went a deep red in the face and neck at being called her old nickname. She quickly composed herself and said, "He's out of surgery and we were able to get the subdural hematoma. He's in recovery and can only have two visitors at a time so as not to overwhelm him, and only a few minutes at a time as well. We'll keep him here for a week or two just to make sure he's doing alright. I'll have a nurse come and get you when you can go and see him. Any questions before I go and check on my other patients?" she asks.

They all just shake their heads, muttering their thanks in relief and she nods and starts to head down the hallway, only to have Kelly chase after her and grab her hand to stop her and turn her around.

"Thank you." he says and she nods with a humble, tight-lipped smile, "I mean it Firefly. Thank you." Kelly said looking sincere.

"It's my job Cowboy." She said using his nickname as he used to be the star quarterback and was fast as hell on the field- kinda like a cowboy- so she called him that.

Christi smiles gently at Kelly then turns and heads down the corridor to go and check on her other patients that she had. Kelly watches as she goes and watches as she stops at the nurse's station and then pulls her arms above her head, stretching. He looks at her side and squints a bit and he sees his zodiac sign with his initials still on her side. He smiles a bit and rubs his right shoulder where he had her zodiac sign with her initials. They had gotten them right after they had gotten married; a gift to each other. He turns and goes back to the rest of the guys as they waited to see Matt.

"Hermann, where has she been all this time? Where has she been hiding out? Catch me up man, please. I know I screwed up majorly with her back then and I realize that man, but you gotta tell me, please. Is there anything I can do to get her to listen and give me a chance? I know she's only being nice because she doesn't want to make a scene in front of everyone. But if we get alone she's going to give me the side of her that used to terrify me and still does." Kelly says looking at his ex-brother-in-law.

The look Hermann gave him was not one he was hoping for. He didn't say anything though, just looked. His eyes pinched together, his lips tightened- like his sister's. He was hoping he'd help him. If not, he'd have to make a call to Antonio.

"Look Kelly, I know you two had a thing- obviously. But I don't think it's appropriate for you to suddenly care so much after so long. I mean, we didn't hear from her for a while, didn't see her for even longer. Give her, her space and let her live and breathe for a little while. You want that information?" He asks.

Severide looks at him for a moment and runs his fingers through his hair and wipes them down his face in an exasperated sigh, "Yeah" he says to the ceiling before looking to Hermann again, "Yeah, I want it."

"Gain her trust back" came Hermann's response. Kelly sits back in the chair and looks straight ahead, "Let her tell you when she's ready." He finishes.

Kelly nods. Antonio it is.


	2. Joey, Explanations, Negotiations

Six weeks after the accident Matt was back and doing fine- as he told everyone. Antonio got Kelly everything he had asked for but he didn't use it. Maybe actually trying to gain her trust back would be best. He didn't want her getting mad at him and ruining his chances even more of getting a chance to talk to her again. He sighs and sits there at the squad table with Mills and a few of the other guys with Pouch next to him on the floor. He leans back and thinks on how he could get her to even give him the time of day to talk to him and give him another chance. That's all he needed - one chance to talk to her and make things right with her. He still loved her more than anything and he wanted her back in his life; he had tried to find her after she left but he couldn't. He still tried to find her but it was near impossible.

He looks up as a call comes in and he's up and out and into the apparatus bay to get his uniform on. He hopped into the truck and sat back.

They arrive at the high school where he, Christi, and a few of the guys on the team went in their time of high school and he immediately starts barking out orders. Parents start showing up he and looks over and sees Christi looking frantic.

"JOEY! JOSEPH CHRISTOPHER!" he could hear her yelling as Herrmann runs over and grabs her to hold her back try to calm her down and relax while they all did their jobs.

He goes over and looks at Christi, "Who are you looking for? Show me a picture and let me see if I can find out where he is."

"Joseph Christopher Herrmann-Severide. He's fifteen. You have to find him. He'd stay in there and help people. Please find him." She begs him, sobbing. She shows Kelly a picture of their son on her phone. She was so frantic she didn't even realize she had just told him he had a son that he had no idea about until now. She just wanted him out and in her grasp.

Kelly nods, gets his mask on, and heads inside the school looking for Joey. He would question Herrmann or Christi later about the kid. He starts searching and finds him guiding kids out and standing there coughing and gasping for breath. He stopped for a second and looked right at him and saw how much they looked alike. Joey looked just like him when he was his age.

"Joey, let's go! Your mom is outside frantic looking for you." Kelly says grabbing him by his arm to help steady him as he looked weak on his feet and like he was going to pass out any second.

"No! I need to help them! I need to find Chelsea. She still hasn't come out. I can't find her! We were together then got split apart when we were running out. I need to find her!" Joey says stubbornly. He isn't going to go without his girlfriend and that was the end of it.

"We'll find her. You need to get out of here before your mom is crazy enough to come in here herself. So you have two choices here, you go out willingly on your own or I haul your ass out of here!" Kelly tells him in a serious tone that is not to be messed with.

Joey just stands there staring him down, daring Kelly to haul him out of there. Kelly snorts and picks him, throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him out while helping a few other kids out at the same time. Once he gets outside he carries him over to the awaiting ambulance and sets Joey on the stretcher and Christi comes running over.

"You crazy child! You could have been killed!" Christi yells at him smacking the back of his head before going and hugging Kelly tightly as she cries.

"Thank you." She whispers in tears, "Rascal's Place, eight tonight. I'll explain Joey." she adds on still shaking.

"Where's Chelsea!? I need to find Chelsea! Where is she!?" Joey says, panicked looking for his girlfriend; he needed to find her. He was fighting Dawson and Shay as they try to look him over.

"Joseph Christopher Herrmann-Severide STOP FIGHTING THEM AND LET THEM LOOK YOU OVER OR SO HELP ME I WILL HAVE THEM SEDATE YOU!" Christi snaps.

"Joey? Joey where are you?" they all hear a young female yelling.

Joey looks around his mom and sees Chelsea and leaps off the stretcher and out of the ambulance. He bolts over to her and grabs her to pull her into his arms and hold her close. He is so happy she's out. He isn't sure what he would do if she didn't make it out. He couldn't be happier.

~Eight PM~

Kelly walks into Rascal's Place, which is where he and Christi went on their first date for dinner, and he grabs a table and waits for her. He wants answers and he's going to get them. While he waits, he orders them something to eat and drink. A bacon cheese burger medium rare for him and chicken tenders with fries for her, knowing it was her favorite there when she was stressed out or her nerves were frayed. He gets himself a soda and he gets her hot tea as well, knowing that it would also help her. He looks up as she walks in just as their waitress is bringing out their drinks along with some water.

"Hey, thanks for coming. I know I have a lot of explaining to do and you have every right to hate me and want nothing to do with me and I accept that. Okay so the deal with Joey is that when I left, and ran, I was getting sick every morning and Chris talked me into going to a local clinic and finding out what was going on. They told me I was eight weeks along. I didn't want to come back all because I was pregnant. I wanted to come back because you came running after me, putting the Academy and making Squad second in your life and me first. I was your wife Kelly. I waited two months and when you never showed I gave up, I got a scholarship to Georgetown for being the only person in my family to go to college, and being a single parent. I put myself through school and started med school at John Hopkins and then I started working at the hospital there until my dad got sick. Joey and I came here and we just stayed. I made Chris promise not to let anyone there know I was still here even after our dad got better. I was waiting to see how long it took you to see if I was still here and if you would do anything. He asks me and Chris about you all the time. He wants to be like you: a firefighter, on Squad and a Lieutenant as well. He's just like you in every way, as you saw tonight with him staying in there until he found Chelsea."

"If I had known I was going to be a father would have put squad second." Kelly explains leaning back and looking at her.

"But where would being a husband fall?" questions Christi, looking at him as their food was delivered.

"I would have been there." Kelly eventually said after a long moment of silence.

"Kelly, seriously. You didn't realize how far your obsession with making Squad had taken you. I never saw you. You were always at Fifty-One. You were always with the Squad Lieutenant and the guys on Squad hanging out and wiggling your way into their little group. When I did see you, you were in bed or on the couch sleeping. We did see each other and go out but all you could talk about was making Squad and completely ignored what I had to say. I felt like I was second in your life." Christi said, sitting there picking at the fries that came with her chicken tenders. She isn't even eating them she's just picking.

"I really screwed us up didn't I? We had a great thing and I let my obsession over take things and push us apart didn't I?"

"Yeah, I mean I thought we were going to be together for life, and then things fell apart as soon as you started training to get a place on Squad. It was like I wasn't even there. I was hoping you would realize it, but you never did. I gave it a month and if you didn't see it by then, I was going to leave and I did. I had Chris's help in everything with getting the divorce and raising Joey and he even came out and helped me with my pregnancy at times. It was rough but Chris always came to the rescue. I was wishing it had been you though. I actually ended up in the ER a few times and he wouldn't leave me alone until he knew I would be fine after I was released." Christi explains, finally having a few of the chicken tenders.

Kelly nods and leans back. She did have a good point. He was pretty crappy to her and he didn't realize how miserable she had been until she left and it struck him that she was miserable.

"How about we start over? Start fresh and build things up from the ground slowly. And just take our time. Last time we rushed things, this time let's take it slow. I want a second chance at us. I want this to work. You are the only girl I have ever loved. Please Christi, people change over time and you leaving me fifteen years ago made me realize I was being stupid. Please." He practically begs.

"Kelly…" she says and trails off. She leans back and sighs, thinking, unsure of what to do. She wants a second chance with Kelly but is frightened to go back into that situation.

"Just one chance and if I screw this up again, we remain neutral for the sake of Joey. And if it works out, even better."

"Fine, but we keep this from my brother. He's still not happy with how things ended the first time. He nearly wanted to pummel you but I stopped him." Christi explains.

Kelly smiles and nods, "I couldn't agree with you more."

"On one condition, I'm not going to make it easy for you Kelly. You're going to be jumping through some major hoops. You're really going to have to prove to me that you want this." She explains looking at him watching him nod.

She wasn't going to make it easy for him. He was going to be jumping through some major hoops. She wanted proof from him that he really was going to work this time to make things work and that he just wasn't going to be coming in out and of their lives. Joey didn't need that and neither did she. Chris was great father figure for him as he did have five kids of his own so he knew the ins and outs of being a parent and he was firm when Joey needed it when Christi got to the point where she needed to call Chris over to help. Joey looked up to and admired his uncle, who was also his godfather, and not to mention he had put the fear of God into him so Joey didn't dare cross Chris like he crossed Christi most of the time.

Joey needed his father though- his _real _father: Kelly. And Kelly needed to be a father. Kelly _wanted _to be father. There is no point in not letting him try. Kelly takes a bite of his burger and just about everything falls out the back- just like Joey, neither of them knows how to eat a burger. So he sighs, chews, and pulls the top bun off to slop everything back on top.

He catches eyes with Christi and gives her the sheepish 'I've-been-caught' look, just like Joey does. There is so much alike with them, and she can't stand it. Joey needs to know where he came from. He needs to see his father. He needs Kelly and Kelly needs him and they will have each other. No matter what happens, they will have each other.


	3. Heartaches and talks

Joey was wandering the halls of the pediatric ward when all of sudden, he felt a rumbling and watched as the whole hospital seemed to collapse on his left. He stood in shock, watching as people screamed and froze like deer in headlights, or pressed themselves against the crumbling walls. An alarm went off, setting off the others in a sickening domino effect. He took a step away from the nursery on his right, thinking about running off and helping or finding his mom. But then a few babies started to cry and he looked over to see their terrified expressions. His head flickered from front to side while he decided on his options to run or to save. Without much thinking, he went with save and crashed through the door. He grabbed two of the quiet infants, knowing that he'd be able to keep them quiet rather than try to calm them down again. He held them to his chest and ducked, keeping his knees under him and his head tucked, there was a pocket underneath him where he'd keep them safe. He braced himself, and then with shocking force, the ceiling crumbled around him...

Joey could feel nothing but fear running through his veins, his heart pounding so hard he thought he could hear it in his ears and thought it was going to burst through his chest like in all the cartoons. He still watched those sometimes… but only Saturdays and always with a bowl of fruity pebbles. All he could smell was smoke and dust around him causing him to cough as it flew up his nose and through his mouth and he coughed and tried to breathe through it. He gently pulled the two babies closer to him as he adjusted his jacket and somehow managed to zip it up to keep them safe and protected and away from the smoke and dust.

The rumbling and shaking had finally stopped and now things were falling around him as he tried to keep the babies safe. He started coughing and wheezing from all the smoke, soot, dust and whatever else was in the air floating around filling his lungs and hurting his throat. He had sixteen years under his belt. The two in his arms and under his jacket didn't even have a month they had only been in the hospital a few days; only a few days under their belts and that was it.

**£Trauma Ward£ **

Christi felt the blast and felt nothing but fear and worry. The first thing that ran through her mind was where her son was and how many people needed help. But right now her legal first priority was to be there and help people out. She ran over to a young girl who was screaming and crying. Her blonde hair covered in dirt, dust and debris. She checked her over and saw her side has a large gash in it and she was bleeding out quickly as it had kinked an artery or vein; she wasn't sure at the moment. All she needed to do was get the bleeding to stop and move on to the next person or go find her son.

After she had helped a few of the victims, one of her coworkers told her to go and find Joey. They were fine and had everything under control. Christi had thanked him and went in search of Joey. Her first stop was Pediatrics, knowing Joey would be floating around there looking for her. First she would check where all the rooms were then the nursery. She knew he would be in one of those two areas as she had transferred to Pediatrics because the hours were better and she wasn't as stressed out or tired when she came home from her shift. She had actually found she liked working with the kids more than being in Trauma. She wanted to help kids and working in PEDs gave her that chance.

When she ran into what was left of PEDs, she started checking there and getting the kids out that she could and handed them over to volunteers and anyone who was there getting people out. When she didn't find him there she started making her way out when the rest of PEDs collapsed on top of her causing her to cry out as something hit her head hard and she started to black out. The last thing that crossed her mind was that Joey was safe and if he wasn't that Kelly and the rest of Station Fifty-One would find him and make sure he was alright.

**ƛOutsideƛ**

The rest of House 51 showed up along with House 66 and a few others. They were clearing debris when they found Gabby and got her out. They were using a line to pass debris along to each other; one to the next. They were removing the rubble and debris looking for survivors or victims of the blast. They were in search of anyone and everyone. Kelly had been so wrapped up in trying to find survivors when the thought finally dawned on him.

"Where are Christi and Joey?" Kelly asks Matt.

"They were inside last I knew. Joey went to go look for Christi." Matt said.

Kelly swears and he goes and starts digging around for them. He had to find them. He just got them back and he wasn't going to lose them this way. After digging some they found Christi and pulled her out coughing and talking like Gabby. She would be fine after getting some fluids and oxygen. They keep digging for Joey and they find him and pull him out, finding the two infants in his arms. The babies get handed over and Kelly checks for a pulse on Joey and finds that it's weak and one of Christi's fellow Trauma doctors check him over and sadly shakes his head.

"It's not long for him" He says as Kelly cries and holds him close as the doctor walks away to go check on other people being pulled out.

Joey had severe smoke and dust inhalation, a severe head injury, internal bleeding. Kelly knew all of that combined was bad. The hospital was practically destroyed and only had one working CAT scan, MRI and CT scanner. So they would take all the people that were inside first was they were easiest to get to everyone else would have to wait for the fleet of ambulances to get there and start transferring all the trauma patients to other hospitals. Also not to mention he had been down there for a while so that could add on to why it wasn't going to be too long for him either.

"Dad?" Joey rasps.

"What's up sport?" Kelly asks in tears his heartbreaking.

"The babies?" he rasps.

"They're alive because of you. Where they were they would've died if you didn't grab them. You did good kiddo."

Kelly had told Herrmann to go and find his sister and get here there quickly. He knew she was being checked over thoroughly as he knew Herrmann was demanding it along with all the other doctors there. Kelly had wanted her there the second Joey was found but Herrmann put his foot down knowing she needed to be checked over as well with a head injury.

Joey nods and sighs and goes limp in his dad's arms. Kelly completely loses it and holds his son's body close to him hysterically. When Christi gets over there finally, she bolts over and breaks down in hysterics as well and runs her fingers through Joey's hair softly like he was just sleeping.

"You crazy child. Just like your father but I wouldn't have changed it for the world." She cries as Kelly uses one arm and pulls her close to him and holds both of them in his arms.

Kelly kisses her forehead then Joey's. He wasn't letting her go now. He'd plead his case with her family and beg them for a second chance. He knew he was already getting it from Christi but he was going to do things right this time. Go through her family for every important step in the relationship and that was starting with asking her out again. He'd do anything to prove to them he'd changed and that he was worthy enough for her again. He did it once he could do it again but this time he was going to show them that losing her and his son twice would prove it made him a better man. His son when she first left him with Joey unknowingly in her womb and just today.

~Week later~

A week had gone by since the bombing and since they had lost Joey. They had given him a firefighter's funeral with the trucks, the house in their dress blues and the whole nine yards. Joey had mentioned he had wanted to be cremated then spread along the woods where he, his grandfather, and uncles would go hunting every summer and winter as he loved it there. Christi had been able to get a heart pendant necklace with some of his ashes in it and she wore it constantly. Kelly and Christi both had been given time off of work and told to take as long as they both needed. At the moment Kelly was getting ready to go and talk with her family while she slept and Shay was coming over to keep her company in case he wasn't back by the time he woke up.

When he arrived at the Herrmann patriarchs household he saw both Chris and his brother were already there. He parks in front of the house and walks up to the front door and knocks stuffing his hands in his pockets waiting. Once the door opens he sees her other brother and father both standing there.

"Hey Larry. Hello Mr. Herrmann. I really appreciate you giving me the chance to talk to you." Kelly said rocking on his heels a bit. He was nervous as hell. He knew he really pissed off her family when he acted like an ass fifteen years ago. He knew that because Christopher rode his ass hard since he was still a candidate at the time and he had also told him of how much he pissed off the rest of the family as well. He just hoped that they could look past what happen and see that he changed and that they can give him a second chance.

Both of them just snorted. They still weren't too happy and didn't want to talk with him but Christopher had convinced them to at least listen to him. They went inside and all sat in the living room.

"I really appreciate this. I know I screwed up sixteen years ago. When she left I was devastated. I wanted her back from the moment she left. When I realized what I lost I felt like a fool and I tried to find her when she left but every time I thought I was close I fell four steps back. I lost her and Joey the day she left. Joey unknowingly. Now loosing Joey for good and nearly losing Christi made me realize that I don't want to lose her again. I want to do this right this time. I would really and greatly appreciate it if you give me your blessing to ask her out and start dating her again if she accepts." Kelly said sitting back fidgeting nervously.

Mr. Herrmann, the patriarch of the family, raised his eyebrows, took in a deep breath, his chest puffing up big. He sat back against the couch, studying Kelly. He brought his hands together and watched himself as he messed with his fingers.

He looks up, "Yes."


End file.
